News

Dedication service for Angel of Hope project set

By Scott Wagar

08/26/2014

The dedication of Westhope’s Angel of Hope has been set for Sept. 13 with the chance of the creator of the statue to be in attendance for the ceremony.

The event will consist of a program, the opportunity to place flowers in memory of loved ones and the opportunity to perhaps meet Richard Paul Evans, the author of the “The Christmas Box” who created the Angel of Hope in his novel.

“It hasn’t been decided yet, but Richard Paul Evans or his assistant, Lisa Johnston, will be attending the dedication,” said Robin Tolstad, co-founder of the Westhope Angel of Hope project with Becky Braaten. “We are excited to know which one of them will attend this event.”

The Angel of Hope is a statue of an Angel that appears in cemeteries worldwide to give comfort to individuals who have lost a loved one.

“The Christmas Box” deals with a mother’s grief in a loss of a child. Within the novel, the mother mourns her loss at a base of an angel she had commissioned in honor of her child.

Through the conception of the statue, the mother places the word “Hope” on one of the angel’s wings, which Evan uses in the plot of his story to deal with sorrow and finding the true meaning of Christmas.

Tolstad and Braaten’s journey for an Angel of Hope started when Braaten lost a baby to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and Tolstad lost her daughter in a car accident. With Braaten’s and Tolstad’s losses, the two women discovered Evan’s Angel of Hope, which gave them the idea to bring the statue to Westhope so that people who have experienced loss can find hope.

The event on Sept. 13 will start at 7 p.m. and will take place during Westhope School’s Homecoming.